Description
Lunala was never quite sure what drew her to Earth that day.
Humans were strange beings that inhabited several realms, but they filled the world known as Earth. They normally appeared to be a peaceful species, but she had seen in the past the horrors they could bring to their own kind. And while she knew that the species as a whole wasn’t corrupt, Lunala simply felt that it was safer to keep her distance.
And so for many years she remained as a distant myth of the past to Earth, an ancient deity of the moon in their sky.
But yet, on a warm and windless night, she found herself passing into this world for the first time in nearly a century– wings silently carrying her above the ocean as the wormhole closed behind her. It was nighttime, which was her favorite time in any world. The deep blackness of the sky and the thousands of stars reminded her Ultra Space, and she only felt safety as she flew below it. She danced through the sky, not quite sure where she was going, but felt as if there was something she needed to see.
She could make out islands in the distance, where she knew there would only be humans, and so she guided herself out towards the ocean instead. She knew humans often took ships out onto the waters, but she could slip away into the shadows if needed. There was a calmness to the sound of the ocean waves, and she was content to simply experience it. Not all worlds had such a stable beauty to them... but perhaps that was why so many beings resided here.
It wasn’t long before the ghost type saw a huge white shape in the distance– so large that at first she thought it was an island. But yet as she studied the way the light reflected off of its surface she knew right away it had to be a man made structure– and the only time humans were in the ocean was when they were on ships. Lunala gulped, wondering when they had been able to create something so large, but her curiosity refused to let her fly away. She dipped down towards the water, the salty spray of the ocean washing over her as she drifted closer to this strange giant ship.
Shivers raced through her as she approached– because she discovered it was indeed an island.
A giant, man made island.
A species with no elemental powers. A species that couldn’t even understand the simple sounds of Pokemon tongue. A species that struggled to even live a century– but yet they had crafted this monstrosity before her. Artificial lights gleamed from the island, making the white structure stand out like a beacon in the darkness. There was a beauty to the sight... but yet it seemed to sap away from the natural beauty from around it.
But still, Lunala found herself drawn to it, and so she flew closer.
She dove towards the shadows, melting away into it with ease. Here she would be hidden from prying eyes as she explored this strange place, and able to learn more about what these humans had managed to do. She could hide away into even the smallest of shadows, but with how brightly this place was lit up she struggled to find them in the first place.
The halls were quiet, humans were a day-loving beings after all, but still several of the strange creatures wandered through the silent hallways. She passed from shadow to shadow, at times even following the human’s shadow in their wake to see if she could find something worth the building of this place. But yet there seemed to be nothing as she lurked about, just an unnatural quietness in these halls.
She soon abandoned the hallways, favoring to slip through the walls instead, and soon she found herself passing into much larger rooms. Some were even large enough to hold her solid form– but she knew better than to come out of her shadowy state. Because unlike the halls, these rooms weren’t empty. They housed the natural Pokemon of this realm, most of them fast asleep, but she knew it wouldn’t take much to awaken them.
The sight made her heart warm– seeing those injured carefully cared for by the human’s technology. Sheltered in rooms that were nearly as peaceful as the outside world. It didn’t take her long to know that this was a place humans were using for good, it was clearly a place of healing. Perhaps that’s why she had been drawn here? To see that the humans of now weren’t like their violent past?
However these thoughts faded away as she passed into the next room.
The sight was horrifying– absolutely horrifying. Lunala froze up as she realized what she was seeing, nearly phasing into her Pokemon form as she stared. She pulled back, as if hoping that would erase the image in front of her, but what she was seeing refused to fade.
Dozens of dead Pokemon– all frozen in what seemed to be ice. Up on pedestals as if on display, the remains of the poor creatures carefully modeled as if they were statues to look at. She wanted to tell herself that it wasn’t real, that these Pokemon were merely replicas of some kind... but as a ghost type she could feel the presence of death. Sense the absence of the life that had once been here.
Lunala couldn’t bear it anymore– and swiftly dove through the wall and into the next room. Who could have done this...? Who could have done this to these poor creatures...?
“Mommy doesn’t want to see you ever going near her collection again,” A voice said as Lunala drifted into the next room, accompanied by sniffles. “Clumsy little Gladion, you could have knocked something over.”
Lunala hated the voice the moment she heard it, the silky voice that made no effort in hiding the edge in her words. She stared down at the human as it spoke to a younger one, a human hatchling that couldn’t be more than several years old. The way she spoke seemed like the way any caring human would speak to their young, but her actions showed anything but that. Her hands roughly grasped the child’s wrists, the human’s blunt nails digging into the poor child’s skin. Tears poured from his green eyes, but yet the only sounds he made were whimpers as the human female towered over him.
The worst part was that this was clearly the human’s hatchling– mother and child nearly identical. Pale ivory skin, light blonde hair, and those intense green eyes. The boy pulled against his mother, trying to get away, but this only resulted in her grasp tightening, and the boy let out a cry of pain.
“Gladion, tell Mommy you’re not going to go near her collection again,” The human said in a gentle tone– which only sent shivers through Lunala.
“I–” The boy gasped, tears still flowing from his eyes. “I won’t, I w-won’t, Mama.”
“Won’t what?” She asked with that horrible, soft-caring tone.
“Won’t go to M-mama’s collection,” The boy whispered, fumbling over his words. His mother let out a happy coo at this, her grasp loosen from around his wrists. She pulled him into a hug.
“What a good baby,” She cooed to the child, who made no effort to return the hug. “What a good boy Gladion’s being for Mommy.”
The poor hatchling looked so confused, tears still rolling down his face as he sat there in his mother’s embrace. His wrists were red from where she had grasped him, and he looked too afraid to move, as if well aware that this praise and comfort was false. It was such a sickening sight to watch, seeing a child this young look so vulnerable.
Though invisible to the humans, just part of the shadows, Lunala was still careful as she pressed into the next room– not wanting this human to know that she was there.
Collection... the woman had mentioned a collection... She couldn’t possibly be referring to those frozen Pokemon on display, right? Lunala didn’t want to believe it, but after seeing how she had treated her own son she knew it was completely possible. Anger boiled through her– would all those injured Pokemon she had seen resting here one day end up like the others? Frozen away as if they were just a mere item to collect?
Lunala barely paid any attention as she drifted into the next room– planning on merely continuing on to get out of here as swiftly as possible– but a small sound made her pause. Just a small little cooing that pulled the legendary out of her thoughts. She glanced about at the white room, which appeared to be a human den. There was a large bed proudly displayed in the center of the room, but yet with the size of the room it seemed to be so small. There wasn’t much else in the den– bringing nothing but a sense of loneliness.
“Ee,” A small voice called out from near the bed, and Lunala found herself drifting forward, still in her shadowy state.
There was a much smaller bed near the larger one, tall curving sides to keep one from rolling out. A strange display dangled above it, small images of Pokemon swinging from it as they slowly danced above. Lunala peered down into the bassinet as she heard another of the small calls.
A small human hatchling peered up at her.
Of course the human couldn’t see her, but yet she still found herself going still as her eyes met the hatchling’s. It was one of the youngest that Lunala had ever encountered– and she knew there was no way it could be any older than a year. It was laying on its back, small hands playing with its feet as it garbled up at the ceiling.
Lunala soon realized it was ‘talking’ to the mobile, those gleaming eyes focused on the small Pokemon figures spinning above it. A poor substitute for real companionship, and Lunala briefly wondered where the hatchling’s mother was. But as she studied the baby she felt a wave of chills rushing over her, swiftly realizing who this hatchling belonged to.
The light blonde hair, and the soft pale skin– it was just like her mother’s. And while the baby’s eyes were a soft gray, Lunala could make out meadow-green flecking that showed that one day this hatchling would have the same eyes as her mother and brother. Her heart began to feel heavy, realizing that this poor hatchling belonged to the horrible human she had just seen.
Lunala went still, silently phasing into her solid form. The bedroom was so spacious that she could take on this form in here with ease, but still this was the first time she allowed a human to see her in years.
The baby didn’t seem startled at the Pokemon that suddenly appeared above her bassinet. A small giggle escaped her mouth as a clawed wing pushed the mobile aside, allowing the two beings to fully look at each other. Gray-green eyes peered up into Lunala’s deep pink gaze, pure innocence in the human hatchling’s eyes.
Lunala let out a soft rumble, and even if this baby wasn’t her own kind she felt her heart warming. Her own hatchling was long grown, and it had been so long since she had been near a child of any kind. She reached out with a claw, carefully holding it above the baby as to not hurt her. The baby reached out, grabbing the white talon with no fear, tightly grasping it. Using her other wing’s claws she stroked the baby with the curved sides, a content rumble forming in the back of her throat.
“Lillie,” A soft voice from the hallway cooed, and Lunala froze up. “Are you being a good baby?”
Lunala didn’t have time to think, melting away and diving into the nearest shadow in the room. The baby let out a confused call as her new friend suddenly vanished, and the horrible woman waltzed into the room. A deep rage built up in Lunala as she watched the child’s mother stroll up towards the baby. She frowned at the discarded mobile on the ground, before looking at her baby with an unreadable look. The baby let out happy sounds upon seeing her mother, but yet she made no effort to pick her up.
“Mommy thought that this was too high for little Lillie to reach,” The woman said, looking down at the baby.
Lillie let out a small sound, but still her mother didn’t pick her up. She just let out a long sigh, picking up the fallen mobile and setting it up on the dresser. She then opened one of the drawers, seemingly searching for something, paying no attention as the baby’s happy cries slowly became whimpers.
“Mommy’s busy, sweetie,” The woman said, smiling as she found what she was looking for. “If you didn’t knock down your toy then you would have had something to play with,” She turned towards the door, walking away without even glancing back at her whimpering baby. “Mommy will be back tonight, you be a good girl now.”
And with that the door shut, and the horrible woman was gone.
The little hatchling– Lillie, as the woman had called her– burst out into tears as she was left alone once more. The baby cried out, but the footsteps in the hallway only grew fainter. The sound of Lillie’s desperate cries were horrible– and Lunala swiftly appeared above the baby once more, letting out small, concerned calls.
The baby slowly became quiet, looking up at the ghost type once more, several tears still running down her face. Those eyes lit up as she realized she was no longer alone, a small smile appearing on her lips. Lunala drifted closer, ever so slowly moving a claw in close to wipe away those tears without hurting the tiny baby.
Humans were so small, and so their hatchlings were nothing but fragile. Lunala couldn’t help but watch the baby for several minutes in silence, tiny fingers grasping her talon with an innocent curiosity. She babbled as the Pokemon watched her, reaching up with her feet to touch her wing. Lunala knew she shouldn’t linger, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave either. She had seen how the little boy had been treated, and the dozen of Pokemon that had been frozen, and she just couldn’t leave knowing that this hatchling would be in that woman’s hands.
The Pokemon pulled back, casting one look about the room, before her eyes began to glow with psychic energy. The blanket that the baby was laying on began to glow with a pink light, it and the baby being lifted into the air. Lillie let out a happy squeal, looking about– probably thinking her mother had at last picked her up. Lunala drifted up so she was hovering right above the baby, looking at the little one for a moment longer, wondering if this was the right thing to do.
But when she saw the young hatchling give her a little toothless grin, Lunala knew she couldn’t leave her here.
She brought the corners of the blanket together with her telekinesis, before grabbing them with her mouth. She could feel Lillie twisting slightly as she found herself in the makeshift carrier, and Lunala let out a low rumble in hopes of calming her. She drifted towards the center of the room, casting her eyes about once more, as if expecting someone to stop her– but there was only silence.
She closed her eyes, focusing her energy, and a bright glow filled the room. Lunala spread her wings open, watching as the wormhole appeared in front of her, the portal to Ultra Space glowing as it waited for her to enter. She didn’t hesitate, slowly guiding herself forward as not to disturb the human hatchling, slipping out of this world.
The moment she was in Ultra Space she took off flying– rushing away from the fading portal as fast as she could. Lights blurred around her as she rushed forward, winding between lights and wormholes as she took off with her bundle. She could feel the young human twisting and turning, and she surrounded the blanket with a psychic field of energy just in case the cloth wasn’t strong enough to support her.
Up ahead she saw a bright glow of a large wormhole, and she sent a pulse of energy at the white wormhole, expanding it into a portal. She dove into it with no hesitation, not caring what world she was going to, just as long as it wasn’t the one she had just come from. She burst out of the wormhole– the world bright and warm compared to the cool night she had experienced on Earth. The air was humid, the landscape covered in hundreds of craters.
She swooped down towards one, eyes nervously glancing at a Celesteela flying off in the distance as she landed. But she saw no immediate threat, and so she allowed herself to set the blanket onto the ground, using her psychic energy to uncover the baby as she hovered right above it.
Lillie had a panicked look in her gaze, looking as if she were about to burst into tears. However she brightened up as soon as she saw Lunala, letting out a happy babble. She let out a sigh of relief to see that the child was unharmed, holding out a claw for the hatchling to wrap her fingers around. Her heart was still racing from her escape here, but everything was now starting to settle in.
She had just stolen a human hatchling.
Lunala closed her eyes for a moment– reminding herself of what kind of human had been “raising” her though. She had been horrible to her other child, and had barely even given this one a second glance. That human didn’t know how to care for hatchlings, and it would have been cruel to leave her there.
‘Well, little one,’ Lunala said, knowing that the hatchling couldn’t understand her. ‘It looks like you are my hatchling now.’
A burst of excitement ran through her at the thought, it had been so long since she had last been able to raise a hatchling, and to know that she could have another child... It just made her heart warm. Even if it wasn’t her child by blood... nor even a Pokemon...
But it was still a hatchling. A hatchling that needed her.
She knew very little about humans though... but yet she didn’t dare return to Earth, not when she had just taken one of their kind from them. She surrounded the baby with psychic energy, lifting her up into the air to hold her near her face. She winced as a tiny hand reached for her eye, and she carefully pulled her back a few inches.
Earth wasn’t the only place with humans though... there was the world of darkness, where humans huddled near their cities of artificial light. Not that she wanted to raise this hatchling in a world of darkness– but perhaps she’d at least be able to learn about how to care for a human there. Happy with this decision she brought the blanket up into the air, wrapping the young baby back into it before preparing to set off into Ultra Space once more.
‘That woman called you Lillie, did she not?’ Lunala remarked as she formed a portal. Unlike humans, Pokemon didn’t place their identity solely on a name. They were who they were– but yet to humans the idea of a name seemed so important. ‘I supposed I shall call you the same then, Lillie.’
Lillie let out a small babble from within the blanket, causing Lunala to smile.
She had just met this little one– but she wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her new hatchling.